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Monday, July 2, 2007

Happy Fourth of July - The Legislature's Party.

The entire column will be printed July Fourth. Interesting...is everyone celebrating?

Legislators End Fantasy Session"At the big party following the Legislature's adjournment, lawmakers danced--with their wives mostly--to the rock'n'roll renditions of the Harmon Drew Super Group (led by the appellate judge) in a newly restored historic hotel downtown. Beyond the giant ballroom windows the mighty Mississippi rolled by in the moonlight, as did an endless stream of railroad tankcars transporting propylene and hydrochloric acid. A dreamy Louisiana night.The previous 60 days had been a dream of sorts for legislators, and just in time for the term-limited many who had waited their careers for a fantasy session like this. Faced with excess billions and the option to spend it or give it back in tax relief, they did both, though much of the latter will be delayed a year or could end up being a mirage.They also had it both ways on the big ethics issue of financial disclosure for legislators, which nearly everyone voted for but which died when both houses disagreed over how tough to make it. Surely they didn't plan it that way, did they?"